Greece legalises same-sex marriage
Greece has made history by becoming the first Christian Orthodox-majority nation to legalise same-sex marriage.
Following a parliamentary vote of 176-76 on Thursday, same-sex couples will now have the legal right to marry and adopt children.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hailed the new law as a bold step towards eliminating a significant inequality.
However, the decision has sparked division within the country, with strong opposition led by the influential Orthodox Church. Supporters of the church organised a protest rally in Athens, where many participants displayed banners, carried crosses, recited prayers, and sang passages from the Bible in Syntagma Square, the capital’s focal point.
Archbishop Ieronymos, the leader of the Orthodox Church, denounced the measure, stating that it would undermine the social cohesion of the homeland.
The bill required a simple majority to pass through the 300-member parliament. While Mitsotakis advocated for the bill, he needed the support of opposition parties to secure its passage, as many members of his centre-right governing party were against it.